Automatic radio dialing device



April 28, 1953 Filed Dec. 8, 1948 s. R. BENOW AUTOMATIC RADIO DIALING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet l mvzm'orz SIDNEYKBENOW BY W ATTORNEY April 28, 1953 s. R. BENOW 2,636,981

AUTOMATIC RADIO DIALING DEVICE Filed Dec. 8, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 mvsnrok SIDNEY lcazuow ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 28, 1953 AUTOMATIC RADIO DIALING DEVICE Sidney R. Bellow, New York, N. Y.

Substituted for abandoned application Serial No.

663,900, April 22, 1946. This application December 8, 1948, Serial No. 64,187

This invention relates to radio sets and in particular to the automatic selection of broadcasting stations. This is a substitute for my abandoned application, Serial Number 663,900, filed on April 22, 1946.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a simplified structure in which a plurality of settable members are used in such a manner that preselected stations are automatically tuned in for varying periods of time depending upon the length of the programs and Without attention on the part of the listener.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism having few parts for timing the operation of the station selector so that said operation can be synchronized with an electric clock forming a part of the radio set.

Other important objects of my invention include the use of a station selecting set of contacts into register with which may be successively brought, adjustable selector pins which may be set in advance to successively tune in the selected stations; to connect the clock mechanism in a circuit for operating the selector dial with few moving parts so that the operation of the device is positive and mechanical trouble is kept at a minimum.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a radio set in which is incorporated an electrical clock and an automatic tuning device constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the set illustrated in Fig. 1, a portion of the top thereof being broken away to disclose the interior construction.

Fig. 3 is a section of the line 33 of Fig. 2 showing the operating mechanism that connects the clock and the station selecting device.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3 showing the construction of a selector pin and its association with the contact or selector plate.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4 showing the relative alignment of the contact strips with the contacts.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3 showing the arrangement of the condensers used in the automatic tuning operation.

the ratchet.

3 Claims. (Cl. 250-20) Fig. 7 is a schematic view of a Wiring diagram showing the electrical connection of the parts of. the invention.

Fig. 8 is a view in perspective of the slide button or pin employed in preselecting the stations to be listened to.

Fig. 9 is a similar view to Fig. 1, showing a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of Fig. 9 shown partly in section.

The automatic dialing device, according to the first form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 8, is shown housed Within the housing H) of a radio receiver, which housing also encloses any standard radio receivin set ll including a variable conde ser i2 and volume control [3, the latter of which is manipulated from a button [4 on the front panel 15 of the casing I0 while the variable tuning condenser I2 is controlled from a button it also disposed on the front panel l5. The buttons l4 and it through the medium of the shafts ii and bevel gear combinations l8 afford operation of the volume and condenser controls.

The housing It} is provided in the front panel 15, thereof with a clock opening 20 and a dial opening 2| in the former of which is suitably positioned an electric clock 22 of usual construction mounted for support in the opening 20 on a base 23 secured in any suitable manner to the bottom 23 of the housing.

The electric clock includes the usual time dial 24, hour hand 25, minute hand 26 and the minute hand shaft 27, which, together with the usual hour hand shaft, is driven in the well known manner of electric clocks. It is sufficient for the purpose of this invention to note that the minute ,12 teeth in the ratchet and the space between each of the teeth corresponds to a period of 15 minutes.

The teeth 3| of the timing ratchet are arranged to successively engage a circuit closing contact strip 32 mounted on an insulating block 33 in which the contact ends of wires 34 and 35 are held. Contact 35 when engaged by the contact strip 32, which is connected to wire 34, closes a circuit through the wire 36 to energize a solenoid coil 31 when the strip is moved by a tooth SI of The contact block 33 is supported from the base 23 on a bracket 38 while the hous- 3 ing of the coil is secured in any suitable manner to the base.

The solenoid is provided with a core 38 whose upper end, through the medium of a pin and slotted connection All, is connected to the outer end of a pawl arm 32 which, at its opposite end is pivoted on a dialzshaft $3. This dial shaft-.1353 is mountedfor free rotation in. a frame. secured in any suitable manner to the base 23 and including an upper U-shaped portion it and a depend ing stop projection ll. The inner end of the shaft 4-3 has secured thereto a ratchet wheel 58 which is arranged to be actuated by a. pawl. 4.9 suitably pivoted on the pawl arm 32 and yieldably maintained in contact with the teeth of the ratchet 38 by a leaf spring 59-. overthrow movement of the ratchet wheel it is prevented bythe leaf spring ti mounted on a boss of theirame; 35. The spring i also prevents backlash of the ratchetwheel and maintains a diaLcarried on the forward end oithe shaft 53, in properly adjusted position.

Each time that theswitch arm 32 is closed, it is done so, momentarily, by reason of the fact. that the action of the teeth 3| lifts the spring arm 32 against the contact 35 and the snap back action of the spring breaks. the circuit. This momentary contact energizes the solenoid 3i and causes downward movement of the core id to operate the ratchet 48 and the dial. shaft, 33 a predetermined distance against the resistance of a spring 55. which connects the arm d2 with the frame it and yieldably maintains said arm against the bottom ofthestop 4.1., The outer end of the shaft it is provided with a knurled sleeve cc which abuts the face of a dial 5i radially slotted asat and bearing radio station indicia 59 arranged in the spaces between the slots 58 throughout the area of the dial. Each, of, the station designations 59, corresponds to contacts to which are arranged in sets of four and disposed vertically on aselection plate 61" wh ch is suitably secured on the front of theframe 4'5 behind the dial.

Ineachofthe radial slots E8 of the dial 5'! there is provided a selector button or pin which consists of a square shaft E52- having an outer finger knob 63 and carrying spaced washers 64 between which is; disposed acompression spring (35, The inner'endof the shaft 52 or pin carries the vertically spaced upper and lower flexible contact strips 66 and 6.?" respectively, each of which are looped to provide contact between the upper; and lower contact: pins respectively; that make up each set 6!! of the contacts. By pulling action on the finger piece 53 of the selector'button against theresistance' of the spring 55, the contact end of said selector button may be with drawn from the contacts so that the button can be moved longitudinally of the slot 58. Each selector button can therefore be placed in alignment with the station designation of the broadcasting station to be selected and the buttons% may be set at difierent positions about the dial depending upon: the sequence in which the stations are to be heard; The space between each slot 58 corresponds to a minute, interval and any number of these slots may be provided depending on thecapacity ofthe dial. Ifa program is of 15' minutes duration one selector plu will be set atthedesired; station designation, but if he. pro ram i iifl d-halffhours, duration then v the. next, adjacent slot, a button will be placed opposite the same. station d'esignatiom etc. so that. a. program. of. any time duration may; be selected.

The dial 5'! adjacent the outer end of each slot, bears a suitable numeral which may be brought into register with an indicating mark 61' on the casing I0 so that when the programs for the day are to be set, manipulation of the finger piece 56 will position the dial so that the numeral 1 registers with indicator el and the dial in its clockwise; operation will bring the slots 58 successively to register with the indicating mark 61' and also position the contact button 53 of each slot against the contacts to corresponding to the station'at which the plug is set.

In the wiring diagram illustrated in Fig. '7, the sets of contacts 60 are connected in pairs with condensers 7 B of fixed capacity to correspendwith the wave length of a selected station, and are circuited' through the wire ll leading from. the: radio set H. The lowermost group of contacts so are provided for use in connection with the variable condenser [2 so that any station may be selected" that. is not provided for on the dial.v The source of current 72 to the set N through wires '13 also provides a source of current through the wires hi to the switch 32 and through the wires 15 to the solenoid 31. It is not believed that any explanation of the radio circuit is necessary because the use of fixed or variable condensers is well understood and the invention is particularly directed to the mechanical operation and selection of the stations successively. The fixed condensers it, as shown in Fig. 6, each consist of the upper and lower condenser plates Tl suitably insulated and mounted on the cross bars 72 which are secured at their ends to the U-shaped portion d5 of the frame it.

In the operation of nay-device, when the timing ratchet 3i closes the switch 32, the energized solenoid 31? causes ratchet G8 to bring one of the slots 58 of the dial 5? into vertical position so that a contact button unit carried; in said slot will bridge the set of contacts 65) to close the circuit between one of the condensers of the radio set to tune inthe predetermined: station. This operation; repeated at the end of 15 minute intervals, will bring each slot 58 of the dial successivelyto position; to maintain the same station tuned in or to tune in different stations depending upon the setting of the selector pins or buttons 63.

in Figs. 9 and 10;, the electric clock 22 'is shown to be completely enclosed in the housing [is which is adapted to control theradio receiving set I- 1 through the pinion t6- and gear 8 I.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it. is to be: understood that I do not limit myself to the. pre cise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters. Patent is:

1. An automatic radio dialing device comprising a cabinet having, a wall, a radio receiver having a tuning condenser disposed in. said cabinet, a plurality of. openings in saidwall, dial disposed at one of said openings, a, control shaft passing through another of said openings and connected to said tuning condenser, contact buttons disposed in said dial, contacts arranged to. be bridged by said buttons to. complete a. radio circuit. said contacts being arranged in vertical groups, an. elongated plate. mounted behind said dial and; extending, radially oflsaid dial, said dial being formed with a plurality of equally spaced radially extending slots, a shaft connected to said dial, a ratchet on said shaft, a ratchet pawl, a pawl arm pivoted to said shaft, a solenoid including a core to which said pawl arm is attached, means for yieldably resisting movement of the core in pawl arm operating direction, a clock, a timing ratchet mounted on a shaft driven by said clock, a spring arm disposed for movement by the timing ratchet, a solenoid switch in circuit with the solenoid actuated at predetermined time intervals when the spring arm is moved by the timing ratchet, condensers in circuit with said contacts and said tuning condenser, means for adjusting said buttons longitudinally of the slots, for successive engagement with various groups of contacts as the dial is rotated, and means yieldably mounting said buttons in the dial slots for retractile movement whereby they may be disengaged from said contacts for movement longitudinally of the slots.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the clock is disposed at another of said openings in said wall.

3. The device of claim 1 in which said wall is a front panel of the cabinet.

SIDNEY R. BENOW.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

